- 01Woolrich MREC graded 54.4% TREO.
- 02Lab recovered 97% TREO, 99% MREO without impurity removal.
- 03Resource rose 107% to 264.6Mt; 110.1Mt Indicated.
Axel REE (ASX: AXL) has produced its first mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) from laboratory-scale leach solutions at the Woolrich deposit in Brazil, marking a new processing milestone after a substantial resource upgrade.
The product contained 54.4% total rare earth oxides (TREO), with magnet rare earth oxides (MREO) accounting for 35.9% of the oxide basket.
The October test recovered 97% of TREO and 99% of MREO from solution through precipitation without a dedicated impurity-removal stage, suggesting a potentially simpler processing route.
The milestone followed a September-quarter increase in the Woolrich mineral resource estimate to 264.6 million tonnes, including the deposit’s first Indicated resource classification.
MREC Processing Route
Independent laboratory Core Resources produced the MREC using magnesium sulphate column-leach solutions and magnesium bicarbonate precipitation.
The carbonate contained 34.1% neodymium and praseodymium oxides, along with 1.75% dysprosium and terbium oxides as proportions of TREO, with uranium at 0.78 parts per million and thorium at 0.10ppm.
Low aluminium and iron concentrations in the feed solution enabled direct precipitation, avoiding a separate impurity-removal step during this particular laboratory test.
Further work will examine precipitation consistency, reagent consumption, product washing, and impurity control, including magnesium and sulphur remaining in the product.
The proposed in situ recovery (ISR) field trial must also establish solution movement, containment and recoverability before larger-scale pilot testing or commercial process design can be considered.
Improved Resource Confidence
The Woolrich MRE increased 107% in tonnage from its previous wholly Inferred estimate, reaching 264.6Mt grading 1,101ppm TREO and 34.7ppm gallium at a 500ppm TREO cut-off.
Of that total, 110.1Mt grading 1,073ppm TREO and 35.1ppm gallium is now classified as Indicated, representing approximately 42% of the deposit.
The upgraded resource provides a stronger geological basis for the controlled ISR field-validation program, with the resource estimate derived from total assays rather than soluble rare earth recovery measurements.
Across the wider Caladão project, the rare earth MRE rose 24% to 708.6Mt grading 1,443ppm TREO, while the gallium MRE increased 31% to 575.7Mt grading 37.05ppm.
All four Caladão deposits remain open laterally and at depth, with further infill drilling and bulk-density measurements recommended at Woolrich.
Tiger Creek Gallium Results
Separate metallurgical testing at Tiger Creek extracted up to 95% gallium and 74% scandium using oxalic acid, while sulphuric acid achieved respective recoveries of 90% and 70%.
The gallium results came from a selected composite grading 63ppm, above the wider deposit resource grade, and the different historical test programs are not directly comparable.
Attention is shifting to reducing acid consumption, improving selectivity, and recovering dissolved metals, with the gallium-scandium process being assessed separately from Woolrich’s ISR pathway.
At the Caldas South project, preliminary drilling and leach results identified a second potential ISR area, although additional work is needed to establish mineralisation continuity, scale and recovery.
Axel has further leach optimisation, hydrogeological assessment, and technical design work planned ahead of its proposed Woolrich field program.
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